Wire rope comprises a plurality of wires that are twisted together, typically around a core. Strand comprises a plurality of wires that are twisted together. Wire ropes and strands have application in, for example, the construction of bridges and buildings and in the manufacture of guy lines for anchoring tower structures. It is often necessary to terminate the ends of wire ropes or strands, so that the ends can be secured to anchoring structures.
One type of termination is accomplished by looping the end of the wire rope. The resulting loop can then be used to secure the wire rope to the anchoring structure. Unfortunately, this type of termination can significantly weaken the wire rope by, in some applications, as much as approximately between 15% and 25%.
Another type of termination is accomplished by a process called “speltering”, in which the end of the wire rope or strand is inserted into a cavity, or “basket”, in a socket or other terminal fitting, the ends of the individual wires are arranged, or “broomed”, in a spaced-apart relationship, and a flowable socketing material is introduced into the cavity and allowed to cure, or harden. Once the socketing material has hardened, the end of the wire rope or strand and the socket form a unitary speltered assembly, which can then be secured to an anchoring structure. This type of termination results in significantly less, if any, weakening of the wire rope, i.e., a termination efficiency of up to 100%.
Conventional socketing materials include zinc and epoxy. Unfortunately, both of these socketing materials lose holding ability at relatively low temperatures: zinc loses its holding ability at less than 750 degrees Fahrenheit, and epoxy loses its holding ability between 250 degrees Fahrenheit and 350 degrees Fahrenheit. It will be appreciated that if, for example, a fuel fire were burning at or above 1,600 degrees Fahrenheit on a bridge near a speltered assembly, the socketing material could weaken and release the end of the wire rope, thereby compromising the structural integrity of the assembly and the structure being supported.